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Are Disability Benefits Claimants Still Trying to Work?

When some people hear that a person is claiming Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), they often assume that this claimant is just trying to get out of working. Our society is so work-obsessed that we often stigmatize those who do not have a job, and SSDI claimants sometimes fit into that category. That can lead to unfounded assumptions about disability benefits claimants, but the reality of these people’s lives is far more complex.

Disability Benefits Claimants Fight to Work Too

The Washington Post has been running stories about people who claim SSDI and SSI. This series has been running for over a year, and its purpose has been to educate the public about what it is really like to be on disability benefits. One of the interesting commonalities that the publication has discovered has been that many claimants still have a desire to work.

In a recent article, The Washington Post highlights five people claiming SSDI and SSI. Each has a unique disability that prevents them from working, but each also strives to continue contributing to society.

A woman who suffered an aneurysm and was forced onto SSI rolls dreams of rejoining the workforce. She is attempting to do so by working for Uber Eats with her spouse’s help. Another woman with lupus is hoping to do the same. She is applying for part-time jobs that she can work, yet still care for her mother who has Alzheimer’s disease. A man with autonomic and neurological disease would like nothing more than to simply leave his house, but his condition leaves him with very little energy. He can barely do everyday activities, but hopes his electric wheelchair will allow him to venture out from his house again.

These people are only a few examples of what life is like for the people who claim disability benefits. These individuals strive to work and contribute to society despite their disabilities, and they have to meet strict regulations to do so. If they make too much money at a part-time job, their benefits can be stripped away, but many need the extra income to make ends meet. It’s a balancing act that leaves many struggling, but having a system in place to help these people makes it possible for them to live, and strive for their dreams.

A reminder from the Tulsa disability attorneys at Troutman & Troutman, P.C.—making applying for disability benefits easier for those in need.